Door-plate



J. W; BUSS.

Letter Box Bell.

Patented July 13, 1858,

N. PETERS. Phololfillwgraphur. Washingmm D45,

J. W. BLISS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

DOOR-PLATE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20,859, dated July 13, 1858; Reissued October 16, 1860, No. 1,066.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEREMY W. BLIss, of Hartford, county of Hartford, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Plates, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the same is described and represented in the following specification and drawings, and to enable others skilled in the art to make and use my improvement I will proceed to describe the construction and operation, referring to the drawings, in which the same letters indicate like parts in each of the figures.

The nature of this improvement consists in constructing or arranging the door plate with an opening, and bell, bell pull, &c., in such a manner that it may become a permanent fixture to a house, and answer the three fold purpose of a door plate, door bell, letter and paper receiver.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1, is afront view, showing the interior device by red lines. Fig. 2, is a sectional view of the same.

A, is the frame work.

B, is the lid or plate, on which the name is inscribed.

C, is the hinge joint, by which it is secured to the frame.

D, is an additional and detachable plate, on which is inscribed the name of the occupant of the house, and is secured to the plate B, by means of screws or bolts, affording thereby ready means of changing the name of the occupant when desirable, without changing the plate and fixtures after they have once been fitted to the door.

E, is a knob attached to the lid or plate, by which to lift the lid, to insert letters or papers.

G, is a washer attached to the tube H, containing a spiral spring I.

. F is a bell-pull knob.

J is the spindle which is attached to the knob F.

K, is an actuating plate having a zigzag aperture and is secured to the spindle J, and made to work back and forth through the stud N, having a parallel slot to guide the lower end of the bell hammer lever P, while by the pull of the knob F, the plate having the zigzag aperture operates the said hammer lever back and forth against the bell R, and reacted by the spring I, in the same manner.

0, is an arm projecting downward from the end of the spindle J.

M, is a connecting rod hooked into an eye in the back side of the lid or plate B, and extending back and loosely through the arm 0, and having a nut on the end to secure it in place, so as to allow the spindle J, to work freely back and forth without operating or moving the plate B.

The mode of its operation must be at once apparent, as for instance if a stranger is looking for a certain persons residence. The name will be noticeable upon the door plate in the ordinary way. He will pull the bell knob, which will notify the inmates that some one is at the door desiring to see them, or if his call is not answered by some one coming to the door, he can drop a note inside by lifting the lid or plate B, also if the occupants take papers (which almost invariably are left upon the door steps and are blown away, covered with snow, or become worthless from being wet through by the rain, or what is common and still more annoying, they are stolen away, all of which may be avoided by the use of this arrangement) they will be notified by the ring of the bell, which will take place by lifting the plate B, by the knob E, to insert the paper, &c., through the aperture L, in the door. The extra plate will not always be necessary except on such houses as are changing tenants from time to time.

It is proposed some times to arrange the bell in the rear part of the house which may be done by means of cranks placed one at the joint of the door near the hinge and so on in the usual way of fixing them.

I do not wish to confine myself to this particular way of ringing the bell, as there are various ways by which it may be done.

The advantages to be derived from this improvement over others, is too obvious to need further remarks.

I am aware that holes have been cut through doors to receive letters and papers also that letter box alarm protectors have been made having some resemblance to this substantially in the manner and for the purarrangement but such I do not claim; but pose as described.

What Ielaim and desire to secure by Let- JEREMY W BLISS ters Patent is 5 The perforated door plate A, B, bell ar- Witnesses:

rangement I, J, K, P, N, O, M, constructed H. C. ROBINSON, and arranged to secure the three fold obj eet, E. C. SYKEs.

[FIRST PRINTED 1911.] 

